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Nissan Micra car review – a right little tax dodger

The Micra has had a facelift, with some useful business friendly kit added to the improved interior. Great 3-cylinder supercharged engine.
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5 July 2013

Nissan Micra
The Micra is very much a city car – less at home on long motorway runs

What’s not?

  • Take the Micra out of the city and it feels less at home. It seems to wobble over bumps in the road and there’s not enough weight in the steering to give you confidence at high speeds.
  • It’s also not particularly refined, with a fair amount of wind and road noise in the cabin at motorway speeds.
  • And despite the improvements to the interior, the Micra’s cabin still feels cheap. Hard plastics line the door panels, the dashboard and almost everything you can touch.
  • Practicality is not the Micra’s strong point, with a relatively small 251-litre boot and back seats that are barely large enough to seat adults.

 

Nissan Micra
As a low cost city car, the Micra has a place. But less appealing if your businesses involves regular longer trips

Business Car Manager Verdict

This facelifted Nissan Micra is an improvement on the old car but there was more wrong with the pre-facelifted car than just its cabin and the way it looked.

Unfortunately, Nissan has done nothing to improve the way it handles at high speeds or the refinement. 

It’s going to be a low cost company car to run but if you’re regularly doing high-speed motorway runs, you’ll quickly get fed up with the Micra.

Better instead, to look at something like the Hyundai i20, which is even better value, feels a little higher quality than the Nissan, and can cope with both the city and the motorway.

 

The Low Down…

Doors and body style  5-door hatchback
Engine/gearbox  1.2 litre 3-cyl supercharged petrol/5 speed manual
CO2 Emissions  99g/km
Economy  65.7mpg
Power/torque  98PS/142Nm
0-62mph/top speed  11.3secs/112mph
Insurance group  9

…and what it costs

P11D Value £12,595 
Monthly business rental (ex VAT)  From £257 (3yrs/30,000 miles)
Road tax (VED)  Band A
Company Car Tax Bands 2013/14 to 2015/16  11%, 12%, 14%
Benefit in kind 2013/14 to 2015/16  £1385, £1511, £1763
Annual/Monthly fuel benefit (20%)  £464/£39
Annual/Monthly fuel benefit (40%)  £928/77
Annual/monthly company car tax (20%)  £277/£23
Annual/monthly company car tax (40%)  £554/£46
Figures correct at time of posting 
For latest figures Use our company car tax calculator

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Matt Morton

Matt Morton

Matt Morton is an automotive content writer for Business Car Manager

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